Federal management of groundfish takes place on a two-year cycle. For example, federal sport fishing management measures (regulations) adopted in 2018 are effective from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2020. ODFW normally hosts a series of public meetings before federal regulations are adopted.

At the state level, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission annually establishes seasons, methods and bag limits for recreational and commercial fishing. The Commission can adopt regulations that are more restrictive than federal regulations but not less restrictive.

A comprehensive review and development of Oregon's angling regulations takes place every four years. For example, a comprehensive review in 2012 affects angling regulations for 2013-2016. During this review, proposals for new or amended angling regulations are solicited from the public.

A stock, or population, assessment is a scientific evaluation of the status and well-being of a fish stock. Few fish stocks on the West Coast have been fully assessed, primarily because adequate information is available only for a limited number of the stocks. Learn more at NOAA Fisheries

Management basics

The need to control sport fishery impacts on groundfish arises from one or more factors such as:

Decreasing fish populations

Escalating harvest

Uncertainty about the sustainability of a fishery

The need to share a quota among user groups

Various resource management tools are used to control sport impacts on groundfish in Oregon: daily bag limits, size limits, conservation area closures, and annual quotas.